Two-Time CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Champion, Keith Sterkowitz Scores First Victory Of 2013 In Season Finale
20-Year-Old Mark Lambert Finishes Second to Secure First Career Series Championship
Winchester, Indiana (October 12, 2013) – Although Two-Time Series Champion, Keith
Sterkowitz doesn't compete on a regular basis with the Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late
Model Sportsman Series Powered by JEGS as much as he used too, the Cedar Lake,
Indiana driver still makes time to always race in the season finale held every October during
the Winchester 400 weekend at the legendary 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of
Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana. Fortunately for Sterkowitz, he's been the one
standing in victory lane the last two seasons.
The veteran driver of the #17 Midnight Blue Towing / Chevrolet took the lead from Derrick
Griffin on lap 34 of the Winchester 50 and from there, the Inaugural Series Champion from the
2006 season as well as the 2010 titlist held off newly crowned 2013 CRA Late Models
Sportsman Series Champion, Mark Lambert to pick up his second straight October 400
Weekend victory. For the 42-year-old, this event is 'my Winchester 400' and he was one
happy driver in victory lane after the race.
"If we win one race all year for the rest of my career, this is the one we want. I love this place
and I love this whole weekend. Just to be a part of it is something pretty special," A happy
Sterkowitz remarked after the race surrounded by his crew and family. "We had a great field
of cars here this weekend with 35 of these Late Model Sportsman from all over the place. It's
good to see that this series is thriving like it is and we're just so happy to be a part of it when
we get the chance to come out." He added.
Finishing second in his #18 NAPA of Westfield & Noblesville / Chevrolet, which was good
enough to secure the 2013 Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series
Powered by JEGS Championship was Mark Lambert. The 20-year-old only needed to finish
sixth or better in the Winchester 50 and the title was his for the taking. In the end, he would
finish four spots better than what was need to give the Noblesville, Indiana driver the
Championship, the first of any kind in his career.
"We did it! I can't believe it. This is such a tough series and to be able to come out ahead of
guys like K.C. Spillers, Jason Atkinson and everyone else who races with us all season long,
man this is such an honor." The Hoosier State driver stated after receiving his trophy for
winning the Series Championship. "I have to thank my parents, my crew, my sponsors,
everyone who has helped make this all possible this season. We started the year chasing
after a title and we accomplished our goal, I couldn't be happier." He ended.
During his Championship run, Lambert scored one victory while never finishing outside of the
top four all season long. In addition to his Win, he finished three times and in third an
impressive five races while his worst finish was a fourth once in the 10 races conducted
during the 2013 racing season.
2007 Series Champion, 31-year-old Billy Hutson, making only his second appearance of the
season and running his second race since the 2009 campaign, posted the final podium finish
of a third in his #99 Hutson Motorsports / Chevrolet outfitted with a Tribute paint scheme in
honor of the late Dick Trickle. The New Haven, Indiana veteran drew the pole after the
inversion draw and stayed in the top five for the entire event in his return to series competition.
Defending Series Champion coming into the weekend, K.C. Spillers, the only other driver who
could catch Lambert in the points standings, had an adventurous day in his #38 Pro Star of
Fort Wayne / Chevrolet as the Fort Wayne, Indiana veteran was involved in two separate
accidents, but still overcame those obstacles with a battered racecar to post a fourth place
finish earning the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for his efforts. Steve Stacy, the
2013 Outlaw Late Models Track Champion at New Paris (IN) Speedway and former CRA Late
Model Sportsman Series regular who was also the 2009 Series Rookie of the Year, returned
to the series and after starting 14th, would complete the top five.
18-year-old Brandon Barcus finished sixth after leading the first three laps from his outside front row starting spot while 13-year-old Chris Hacker, who clinched the 2013 Rookie of the Year title three events ago in a runaway for the award, grabbed a seventh place showing. Veteran Fred Hopkins was eighth while Danny Brown returned to the series for the first time since the 2009 season and posted a ninth place finish over 2012 Rookie of the Year, Robert Amos Jr., who would wrap up the final top 10.
Veteran Rich Segvich started 27th on the grid and earned the Racing Electronics Hard-Charger Award as well as the Hedman Hedders Husler Award by finishing 14th. Former regular in the series, Tommy Cook returned for the weekend, but unfortunately dropped out on lap 16 due to an electrical problem. He would collect the Hinchman Racing Uniforms Hard-Luck Award. Atkinson out-qualified the 35-car field to score his third Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier Award of the season with a 17.211 which equals out to 104.584mph. He also scored the Van Hoy Oil Fast Qualifier Bonus as well.
The previous night in the special 25-Lap 'New Stars' Feature, Leo-Cedarville, Indiana driver, Jesse Oplinger in his #47 Chalfant Motorsports / Chevrolet scored the Win over Danny Brown while Brandon Barcus, J.P. Crabtree and Josh Timmerman were the top five. Charlie Cotton finished sixth over Mike Brooks while Josh Cahill, Chris Hacker and Al Cook Jr., finished off the top 10. 'New Stars' 25 Results
The 2013 racing season is complete for the Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Powered by JEGS. 2014 information will be made available throughout the off-season. For more information about all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, please go to the series website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow CRA on Facebook at: www.facebook.com and search for "Champion Racing Association" as well as Twitter at www.twitter.com/CRAracing
